First birthdays are always very exciting. Nothing could be cuter than watching a baby grapple with their first birthday present, blink confusedly when the room suddenly bursts into song, or try to shove a fistful of cake into their tiny mouths.
Though they'll never remember it, first birthdays are a sweet memory for everyone involved.
But when parents take their children's parties a bit too seriously, the memories can be a little sour instead. When strict registries and rules are enforced, what was supposed to be a fun celebration quickly nosedives into a boring chore.
However, what one family decided to do in lieu of their baby's first birthday might just take the cake. And now, thanks to the wonders of the internet, their strange birthday message has gone viral.
What do you think of this letter? Let us know in the comments below, and please SHARE!
When a Reddit user received this birthday message in his inbox, he was shocked by just how seriously they were taking the one-year-old's birthday. After censoring out all names, he shared the demanding letter with the world. Do you think it's a bit much?
“With [retracted]’s birthday coming up, we thought we’d ask for 4 items that he will really get a lot of use out of in the coming months. I provided my mom and sister-in-law [retracted] with a list of 4 other items that [retracted] would like for his birthday so that they can buy them from their list and avoid duplication. We’re asking for gifts only from grandparents and the direct aunt/uncle for [retracted]’s birthday party, and similar to Christmas, would like to restrict is to 2 items total per household.
[Retracted]’s birthday list for the [retracted] side of the family is:
- Water table [link]
- Play tunnel [link]
- Play tent [link]
- Fill in the Missing Cheerios book [link]
If you are unable to get these items, please let us know so that we can buy them right away for him.
A few other important items:
- If you choose to get [retracted] something that isn’t on this list, anytime regardless of birthdays or holidays, please be sure to always include a gift receipt going forward. When we return items without receipts, we only get about 50% of the value, so it is like throwing away money if you don’t include a receipt with the gifts. With formula costing us $80 a week, it is always nice to be able to return items that he doesn’t need to get formula instead.
- We would suggest no more books beyond the one Cheerios cited above. Right now, [retracted] has 32 board books on his shelf, and 25 additional books waiting for him in storage once he is 3+ years of age. (And at this point, he hates when we try reading to him.)
- Please refrain from any personalized gifts that would be used outside of the house. Clothing with names is the #1 thing that leads to kidnapping, so we don’t need to broadcast [retracted]’s name on clothing or toys. ([retracted] is getting a personalized gift from the [retracted]’s, but it will only be used inside the house.)
Please let us know if you have any questions about any items not on this list that you are considering purchasing and we can let you know if we already have it or if it is in storage waiting for him.
By the way, a formal invite from [retracted] will be arriving in your mailboxes soon…
[retracted] & [retracted]“
Here are the gifts that the parents are requesting. Considering each of these items is recommended for kids "18 months and up," they seem a little advanced, right?
What do you think about this letter? Are these parents being reasonable, or is it over the top?
Let us know what you think in the comments below, and please SHARE!
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